EU ban on Indian mangoes comes into force from today

The EU ban on import of mangoes from India has come into force. The ban is expected to halt import of mangoes into the UK until December 2015. The EU had informed India in March that the premium Alphonso mangoes shipments would be blocked from May 2014 until December 2015.

The ban includes imports of aubergines, Momordica and Snake Gourd squashes, Patra leaves that are used in cooking. Mango shipments were suspended after authorities in Brussels found consignments to be infested with fruit flies.

UK mango market is worth £68m in total out of which the Indian mangoes account for about £6.3m worth per year. Indian mango exporters have said that they have put an elaborate examination and certification procedure in place to address the issue and have approached the authorities in Brussels to get the ban lifted.

A mango importer in UK said that mangoes could be treated with water to get rid of insects and it was a “knee-jerk reaction” for the European Commission to put the ban in place.

Mangoes in the UK are imported from Brazil, Kenya, Peru, Uganda, Bangladesh, Pakistan and also from South America. New Delhi has asked the EU to lift the ban as the country has already addressed the issue. The Middle East is biggest buyer of mangoes from India which is about 80 percent of mango exports from India.